Russia declares Amnesty International to be an unwanted organization

Russia declares Amnesty International to be an unwanted organization

Moskau, Russland - On May 19, 2025, Russia classified the human rights organization Amnesty International as "undesirable". According to the Russian Attorney General, the organization propagates content that is allegedly supported by the western allies of Ukraine and strengthens military confrontation in the region. These measures come at a time when the Russian government has significantly tightened repression against human rights groups and civil society organizations, especially since the beginning of the Ukraine War in February 2022, such as Al Jazera reported.

The allegations include that Amnesty International supports extremist groups and finances the activities of foreign agents. This classification has serious consequences: Cooperation with Amnesty is criminalized in Russia, and the organization is no longer allowed to continue its work in the country. People who support Amnesty or share their reports on social media could also be prosecuted. At the moment, 223 organizations in Russia have already been declared "undesirable", including numerous independent and western news agencies, so Politico .

reinforced repression against civil society

Amnesty International, which was founded in 1961 to document human rights violations, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for its commitment to human rights and against torture. The organization documented numerous human rights violations in the Ukraine War and recorded massacres in the Gaza Strip and other atrocities. In a controversial report, Amnesty also criticized the Ukrainian military leadership, which led to a public discussion with President Wolodymyr Selenskyj.

Since the invasion, Russia has classified numerous foreign charity organizations and thinking factories as "undesirable". These regulatory measures were introduced as part of a law that aims to pursue groups that are critical of President Vladimir Putin's regime. The internal oppression increases while the country's international aggressiveness is growing at the same time. The Russian authorities use laws for "foreign agents" and "war scensor" to silence critical voices, such as amnesty.de informed.

struggle for freedom of expression

In recent years, numerous people and organizations in Russia have had to experience repression. In 2024, at least 98 new criminal proceedings and 171 convictions were initiated based on "war science laws". In addition, critics of the regime received hard punishments for their statements. An outstanding example is the human rights defender Oleg Orlow, who was convicted of "discrediting the armed forces". These repression aim to increase the pressure on civil society and to suppress the dialogue about the ongoing human rights violations in the country.

The situation is tense, and international diplomatic efforts to de -escalate the conflict are facing a major challenge. In view of the new major escalation in Russia, it remains to be seen how the situation in the region and the dynamics of international relationships will develop.